Improving Client Results

Objectives

Participants will learn and practise how to work well with clients to give them a more engaging experience and deliver better results:

Reviewing the core mindset behind excellent client experiences and results – the sweet spot overlap of a quality product, well run process, and what clients want

Simple steps to make common client meetings more valuable

Spending enough time in the clients’ shoes to experience what does and does not work for them, and how assertiveness is surprisingly welcome

Working with clients in service or project delivery teams, and the importance of treating them very differently from internal team members

Practising working with clients in a series of common challenging real life situations, and a simple process for getting the best out of any difficult circumstance

Course Content

1. A Clients Results Mindset

How a great product and service, and a world class process, are necessary but not enough for a first class client experience and excellent client results

The mindset needed to turn great products and services into great results for clients

The mindset needed to turn a well run process into a satisfying client experience

Dangers and implications of giving clients too strong or too weak a role in product and process design, and how to get the balance right

2. Running Client Meetings

Checklists of good practices to make common client meetings more effective and satisfying

How to get and stay on the front foot with process

Becoming more trusted and respected by changing behaviour from submissive or aggressive to assertive

Understanding enough of clients’ perspectives to make meetings a productive and fulfilling experience

Looking after clients’ best interests in discussion, presentation and product delivery by understanding, considering options and agreeing proactive steps

3. Client Roles in Project Delivery

The importance of being very explicit with clients about project output and process

Treating clients as peers, and man marking all key people with the right team members

Prioritising key people and planning regular reviews

Rules for delegating roles and tasks to clients, and how to reduce or fail-safe client side project risks

4. Handling Difficult Client Situations

A simple process for handling all difficult client situations, based on understanding, considering options and taking control

Being assertive when clients challenge or upset your planned process, and finding a productive solution without weak compromise

Drawing out hidden client issues to find areas of disagreement, and act on those concerns

Building genuine mutual understanding and trust over time, to understand and address areas of resistance, deliver results that both address concerns and that the client can buy into

Dealing well with mistakes made by you, your team or the client

Dealing well with conflict and emotionally charged situations

Method

The course is very interactive. We introduce a handful of new concepts and skills, but we spend most of the time practising applying the skills in a series of mildly challenging common situations.

Participants also spend time reflecting on how well they work with clients, uncovering any gaps and weaknesses. We prioritise together where and how participants can improve, and develop plans to address priorities.

Participants leave the course with greater expertise in giving clients a more engaging experience and better results, with an enhanced skill set that they can apply immediately.

Who Should Attend?

This course will help anyone who works with internal or external clients, who appreciates the importance of giving clients an outstanding experience and results that count for them.

The course will particularly suit people who work with clients in project situations.

Format & Duration

The course is conducted as classroom training.

The classroom course lasts 1 day, and works well with between 4 and 20 participants.